I Combined a Deckbuilding Game with an Action Roguelike

[@MarcosCodas]

The ability/mentality to be able to pivot like this when you realize your game isn't fun is something that takes a lot more guts than people think.

[@SquidGodDev]

Haha I think having a few weeks break from the project because of a vacation made it easier :)

[@sumtinsumtin]

How you create, test, observe your work and come to new conclusions is inspiring and making me want to come at my bullshit fresh again. Tanks you God o Squib, my you tentacles remain mighty!!

[@Goodgis]

*Me:* Just sitting here patiently waiting for Atsu's next video. 😊

[@SquidGodDev]

It's coming! Eventually...

[@PandaTamer97]

you never cease to amaze me! youve consistently kept me excited for the future of this device!

[@joebevis721]

It's always so interesting to see your design and development process! It's a really interesting idea too

[@robobeau]

I would love to see a more technical deep dive on the data-oriented approach. I'm running into similar performance issues with the OOP approach. I gained 1-2 FPS avg. by simply accessing a property directly instead of a helper function I had on a class, so now I'm re-thinking my whole approach.

[@SamMatsa]

I'm also working on a Slay the Spire style Deckbuilding game. And like you I was a bit overwhelmed by the scope required to make the turn-based combat actually enjoyable. Super interesting to hear you had the same problem! Then I took Part in the PlayJam for the Playdate. I realised I had so much more fun throwing together a prototype in 24h than "polishing the gameloop" for the 4th time this week. I came to the same conclusion like you that - turns out - prototyping is a super important and interative process necessary to make a game actually fun. At least thats what I took from the Game Jam (and this video) Also just a general reminder that Game Jams can be a nice change of pace when you get stuck on your personal project 😁

[@SquidGodDev]

Yeah I think that's why there's not as many huge roguelike deckbuilders - it takes an ungodly amount of playtesting to make it feel balanced too. No thank you to that lol. I'll be taking part in the GMTK game jam coming up too probably, so that'll be a nice change of pace.

[@_gamma.]

Adjusting the angle with the crank as you select a card has a nice rhythm

[@NKCubed]

I really like the idea of powerful spells that you have to think to cast

[@SeanStClair-cr9jl]

Agreed!

[@minkomaniac4684]

The implementation of a deckbuilding mechanism in one of my favorite genres is amazing! Work well done.

[@Vlack.]

Love your content mate :)

[@ToddsDiscGolf]

I love getting to see the process 👍👍 cool implantation of that aim mechanic

[@burnttoast-dev]

This is so cool! I’ve never really seen a deck builder quite like this. I’m excited to see the end result :)

[@cheekygiraffe9848]

player sprite is awesome

[@pdizy]

i think if you want to keep the fireball spell you can make it a burst attack, like 3 consecutive low damage fireballs

[@SquidGodDev]

I was planning on that!

[@beaniiman]

A spell that spins around you while you move (ala books in VS) would be cool. You could then move while its active and spin them with the crank as you move.

[@SquidGodDev]

Ahh active spells that could be manipulated by the crank. I'll def have to try that out

[@Zamoksva]

Could you make a video about tile maps ? Im having a hard time understanding how to set it up correctly

[@MarcosCodas]

Wow, this looks really good!

[@curiousdaniel78]

cannot wait for the game !!!!!!⚡⚡⚡

[@legitbox]

you are like a shadow that as soon as i forget about this device, you come and remind me that buying this instead of a crappy nintendo would be a better solution

[@SquidGodDev]

boo! surprise

[@barpg4582]

There is definitely merit to the mana system, in that you could access stronger versions of a card's power if it had an (X) cost meter. This could really get players to hold onto a specific card in order to rush a boss-type enemy or clear out a big horde if they hold onto it for a while. If you went for a forging mechanic to improve card mana cost and up damage, it could also be really neat. Maybe I'm clinging to the deck-building mentality a bit here where your game really seems to be headed more for an action-oriented feel, but I think a delicately-held balance between the two could really make this something special.

[@progress_games]

looks awesome. another cool game in the action/deckbuilder genre is draw down abyss.

[@SquidGodDev]

I know it! I think I showed a short clip of it in the video. I'll be taking a closer look for some more inspiration

[@CitrusArchitect]

Was sad at first that the deckbuilder isn't continuing in the same form, but you sold me by the end of the video! Start and stop gameplay might be a little jarring at first but having the attacks be really powerful and encouraging you to strategize and pick good vantage points to aim your attacks could be really fun, adds some strategy to an otherwise straightforward action game.

[@SquidGodDev]

I'll def need to keep playtesting to make sure it feels right

[@sevafinogenov]

Very nice game idea and neat optimization tricks! Dash in this scenario seems a little bit out of context though... Maybe a good idea is to crank up all dash parameters and make it into another spell card?

[@Kyjor_]

This looks awesome! Maybe you could try and see how an attack that hits one enemy and spawns more projectiles works? Like a chain reaction. And if you upgrade it, the number of times the projectiles spawns more projectiles increases

[@SquidGodDev]

Ah a chain reaction. I'd have to cap it probably so it doesn't get out of hand performance-wise, but could be cool

[@anon_y_mousse]

I like the little wizard, he just needs a rod to cast spells with. Or if you've ever watched Yu-Gi-Oh he could have a device on his arm and it could eject the cards when they're selected.

[@Eutrofication]

cool idea! commenting for algorithmic purposes

[@hot_chocolate7626]

I think it would be cool if there was a Cerberus boss, with a central head that walked around, while the other two spun clockwise like flails. The player would to dodge when it gets close, and line up the shot through the moving heads for massive damage. The middle head could also charge at the player, and bark to create rings of bullets. Also both of the outer heads could spew out bullets. Edit: Various tweaks to grammar and idea.

[@SquidGodDev]

I'll definitely have some bosses in the game

[@jkdubb]

Have you tried making dash a card? That would give the player a more strategic choice.

[@SquidGodDev]

I do typically like having the dash as a movement option always available, but I might test what that would be like. Was also thinking of having a spell that does damage + movement, so that might fill in that gap too

[@voxybuns]

I ran into the same issue as you when it came to displaying a bunch of moving objects on screen using sprites, but when trying the "draw images to the screen" approach, it's just leaving a bunch of ghost images behind. :( I tried peeking at your code but I'm not sure what you did to prevent it from happening, all I know is that you managed to do it without having to clear the screen on every frame...

[@SquidGodDev]

@@voxybuns I'm still calling gfx.sprite.update() since I'm still using sprites in some places, and that function clears the screen. If you're not calling that then you'll have to clear it manually.

[@grahamgordon9434]

i'm curious what some of your favorite twin-stick games are these days?? :)

[@SquidGodDev]

Haven't really played any recent ones actually 😅 Favorite is prob still the classic nuclear throne

[@SquidGodDev]

Is Tiny Rogues considered twin stick? If so I'd change my answer to that 🙂

[@grahamgordon9434]

@@SquidGodDev idk! guess it depends on your definition. i often want just 8-directional wasd+arrows keys, but with a controller, i guess more things can be twin-stick??

[@ethansantiago7013]

"it kind of sucked." got me

[@pie6088]

I hope you return to the pure deckbuilser idea someday!

[@ydz_666]

Its sad when you are not posting. I believe in ya, rewatching your videos for some weird satisfaction, but is there any progress with your deckbuilding game? Thx for response in advance.

[@SquidGodDev]

Working on a different game right now that I hope will be more exciting! I'll be back!

[@ydz_666]

@@SquidGodDevGood luck!

[@victorbront3773]

Hi! I just noticed, that there are Apple Watch games playable with digital crown. How do you think, does it real to port Playdate games on Apple Watch?

[@SquidGodDev]

I don't see why not. You sure could try, but something to keep in mind is that the screen is smaller on the apple watch with a different aspect ratio.

[@parenasbueno]

This is awesome! You could make it so that the lightning bolts can bounce off enemies creating amazing combos like the classic Brick Breaker. Spells can have a limited bounce off number so you can use strategies over when to use them. NAME OF THE GAME: Spell breaker. Kapow!

[@SquidGodDev]

Bouncing is an interesting mechanic. Might play around with that a bit

[@Idris-iy3cx]

Has this game been fully published? It seems like so much fun!

[@SquidGodDev]

Sorry - never got around to finishing it unfortunately!

[@SeanStClair-cr9jl]

I think this game idea really has a lot of potential, and I was stoked when you decided to go with "more powerful cards," because yes, I do think this is the most fun approach. I would love to see a spell with just a big circular explosion, but not just a circular area in which enemies die, more like a rippling-out-from-the-center type deal, perhaps even a spell that involves damage propagating to nearby enemies, which would reward attacking the densest clumps of enemies. Or alternatively, a spell that leaps between enemies in a way that might incentivize attacking the LEAST dense areas... Like, if you cast some slow-ish moving circle that like, chases the nearest enemy and then disappears when it hits it, but along the way sends off little zaps of electricity that kills enemies (possibly even the one it was seeking, thereby extending its longevity). With some hard-coded maximum lifespan. And maybe a small explosion when it finally hits, so as to incentivize it hitting AN enemy, eventually... Idk, I think that could be cool. And if it sounds really impactful and like it would even be doing stuff AS you're drawing your next card - I think that could be a good thing? Yeah. Anyway, if you're doing a vampire survivors type thing, could be really interesting to actually lean into that "massive hordes of enemies" thing by actually centering gameplay around awareness of enemy positioning? In a way that's more nuanced than just "avoid the enemies, shoot aoe spells into the clumped-up areas." Also, maybe some very basic enemy inter-action could be really good. Like, PacMan creates so much gameplay intrigue by just giving slightly different AI to each of the 4 ghosts - what if there was an enemy type that actually didn't seek the player all the time? Or actively avoided the player, but sent out ranged attacks? And idk if the Playdate could really support something like, enemies keeping their distance from each other, but. Anyway just brainstorming

[@SquidGodDev]

Thanks for the great ideas! Making spells to incentivize dense groups of enemies seems like an interesting design space to look into. I have plans for different types of enemy ai, like some that move side to side and shoot projectiles, some that stop and periodically jump at you, etc. I'll keep iterating on that though

[@tomaslomaxks]

Character idea: the character could be holding some cards in his hand, and maybe instead of a wizard the character could have more the look of a magician. The enemies also could be based on the suit. Btw really cool idea, it looks really fun to play.

[@SquidGodDev]

Suit-based card combat is a cool idea. I had a thought about that too, but decided against it because I wasn't sold on it visually/thematically. Cards in the hand is an interesting idea - reminds me of Twisted Fate from League. Worried it might be too small to be readable on the screen, but could work.

[@tomaslomaxks]

@@SquidGodDev It doesn't necessarily to be readable, for that, you can see the cards when you attack. It would be a visual connection between the character and gameplay. What it might show the player it's how many cards does he have in his hand (in case there is some kind of cooldown system). If you wanted something more visually stylish than the regular suit, you might find good inspiration in the Spanish-suited cards.

[@SquidGodDev]

@@tomaslomaxks Ahh I see. I could see that being helpful. And that's the first I've heard of Spanish-suited cards - they look cool. Reminds me of Mahjong

[@colinwood9717]

What's up with the darker crank metal on your playdate? Custom replacement?

[@SquidGodDev]

Oxidation 😅 from hours of the oils on my hand on the crank... Unfortunately happens to most cranks after a bit of time I think

[@colinwood9717]

@@SquidGodDev you probably use yours wayyyy more than average as a developer. I've had mine since launch and it's just like new ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@hyperfreezegames]

One of the most important insights you can get when developing a game: if it's not fun, change it!

[@LolaliciousSmiley]

AHA! You cannot escape the crank.

[@SquidGodDev]

It calls to me in my sleep

[@BretonBrander]

Very cool concept! Especially after you add different kinds of cards/card combos. Recommend Megaman battle network if you want to brainstorm card ideas.

[@SquidGodDev]

Ahh yeah looking into battle network for card inspo is a great idea. I'll be doing that

[@I-cant-code1236]

Wow that’s cool😊

[@LazoDev]

Re create the blacksmith game you made before the playdate was even out

[@SquidGodDev]

That game was not very good 😅 but I think a better blacksmith-type game using the crank a lot could be really cool

[@GenoTheAlien]

Is there any way you can make a guitar hero style game? Like I’d assume use the crank to slide into a lane and make a note fall into place, and then you’d hit the right button for corresponding things coming down. Just a thought.

[@SquidGodDev]

Sounds like a cool idea. I wouldn't personally be interested on working on that, but could be something fun for you to try :)

[@MilitechCorp]

@@SquidGodDev You are so talented man

[@ELV13S]

i know playdate is kida a retro nostalgic handheld, can i challenge u to make a game with restrictions like 10 max sprites on screen or 5 actors limit on a horizontal line limit, like push the limits of a small handheld like the gameboy?.....or u cant? XD

[@SquidGodDev]

Hmm already working with a lot of restrictions, so don't feel the need to add too much more

[@ELV13S]

@@SquidGodDev aww

[@biomerl]

"this seems like a strange genre mashup" - as a battle network fan - hell no!

[@_pluto42_]

Did- did you die 🥺, where’d the videos go 🥺

[@SquidGodDev]

Still alive! Life is getting in the way right now but I hope to be back sometime soon

[@solmare_]

I can't join your Patreon bc you stopped charging monthly :(

[@SquidGodDev]

Sorry about that! It's going to be paused for a while longer since I'm in the middle of something else, but if you wanted access to my source code I made all of it public on my GitHub.

[@krunchymunch612]

I am also on a Game, but i dont have the Motivation to make it further.

[@SquidGodDev]

Motivation is the hardest part of game dev by far so you're not alone... I either try to force myself to work on a game a least a little bit every day, or cut the scope massively to finish it up and move on.

[@Hexaxes]

Hello there What are you doing good today traveler

[@gluester55]

my wallet does not want me to get a Playdate

[@rmcoutinho]

E

[@SquidGodDev]

E

[@Charmunk3d]

This looks great! also 2nd lol

[@milo4885]

FIRST

[@WormManKnoxville]

@@Charmunk3d Um actually I was first, therefor I am better than you in every way 🤓

[@Charmunk3d]

@@WormManKnoxville Sorry I had a brain fart and thought that since mine was the smaller number it was first lol

[@WormManKnoxville]

@@Charmunk3d It's fine man

[@playgroundsinc]

What happend to the channel?

[@SquidGodDev]

Combination of my day job getting busy, taking a break, and my computer is out getting fixed. I'll be back :)

[@playgroundsinc]

@@SquidGodDev I'm so glad to hear that lol I thought u quit